


In a Nutshell

by theauthorish



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Fae & Fairies, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-01
Updated: 2019-04-01
Packaged: 2019-12-30 09:29:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18312875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theauthorish/pseuds/theauthorish
Summary: For Koushi, the whole part-faery thing was great in theory-- being able to charm men and women alike with flowers and fruits that were out of season and more vibrant than they had any right to be was a plus. So was the fact that he could sometimes encourage susceptible people to notice him more or less depending on his mood. He liked that he could tell when it was going to rain or storm or shine brighter than any other day, and he liked being able to hear the stories nature had to tell, the ones humans (for all that he was only half-fae, fae blood tended to take over) couldn't understand.But it was drastically inconvenient at times when people caught his weird behavior-- and subsequently asked for explanations.





	In a Nutshell

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Spacekitten42](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spacekitten42/gifts).



> For Kitten!!!!! It's late, but thank you so much for your help that time and for always being there for me. I love you so much and miss you!!! I hope we can catch up soon. 
> 
> Also wow. I haven't posted a piece in ages, I know. Hopefully i'll have more stuff up soon! Getting back into a writing groove is taking longer than I hoped.

Koushi probably should have been paying more attention. 

 

The whole part-faery thing was great in theory-- being able to charm men and women alike with flowers and fruits that were out of season and more vibrant than they had any right to be was a plus. So was the fact that he could sometimes encourage susceptible people to notice him more or less depending on his mood. He liked that he could tell when it was going to rain or storm or shine brighter than any other day, and he liked being able to hear the stories nature had to tell, the ones humans (for all that he was only half-fae, fae blood tended to take over) couldn't understand.

 

But it was drastically inconvenient at times when people caught his weird behavior-- and subsequently asked for explanations.

 

It had been drizzling, which was fine. Koushi was only making a small detour to the park, after all. Or, well, he had been. He’d set his little bag down on the bench, scavenged for the acorns he could find and tossed them in with the rest-- and, well. He should have taken it and gone. But then he’d spotted some adorable little flowers struggling to grow at the edge of the park, trampled by some overexcited, careless kids probably, and he’d taken pity on them, so he’d walked over and crouched in front of them and drew on his weak magic to strengthen them a little and give them a boost.

 

And then it had started raining in earnest-- and Koushi had entirely forgotten the bag sitting on the bench, dashing for the roof. He  _ hated  _ being soaked. A little damp was fine. Soaked was not.

 

So anyway, what Koushi was getting at was this-- now was one of those inconvenient moments. The very attractive, very sweet crossing guard who had noticed Koushi running and come with an umbrella (Koushi was trying really hard not to swoon or be inappropriate, but it was so  _ hard _ when the guy had the cutest fucking dimple and the most glorious tan, plus muscles Koushi would thank for choking him) was now staring at the contents of the bag, spilled as they were on the concrete beneath the sliver of roof they were huddled under. He looked confused. He probably thought Koushi was a little… nuts. (Literally.)

 

Koushi should have been paying  _ way  _ more attention. If he had stopped ogling long enough to ensure his grip on the bag had been better when the guy had handed it over (he’d been kind enough to get it from the bench too, instead of leaving it there or making Koushi ask, what the heck), it wouldn't have fallen, and he wouldn't have ruined his chances--

 

“Um,” Koushi managed, as the silence stretched. “I can explain?”

 

The guard shook his head, mouth quirked in amusement. “It’s all right, you don't have to,” he said, and gods, even his fucking voice was fucking perfect. Koushi was going to die. “It’s your business, you aren't hurting anyone.”

 

Koushi chuckled nervously, scratching at the back of his neck as he dropped into a crouch so he could start picking up the acorns he’d collected. He expected the guard to leave while he could-- it must have been bizarre, seeing a perfectly grown man pick up have nothing but acorns in his bag, especially in the rain (which had been going since early this morning, honestly, Koushi should have brought an umbrella-- in his defense though, the acorn hunt had been a spur of the moment decision).

 

Instead the other man bent next to him and began to help.

 

“Oh you don't have to--”

 

“I’d like to,” he cut in. He flashed that smile again, erasing whatever argument Koushi might have made from his mind. Cheat.

 

Koushi smiled back at him a little shyly, trying to inject a little bit of that magic charm into it. “Well, thank you then. I appreciate it.”

 

The man blinked, stunned for a second, and then he grinned again, cheeks dusted a faint red. “Ah. That's all right.” He paused, pouring a small handful of acorns back into Koushi’s bag. “I’m Daichi, by the way. Sawamura Daichi.”

 

“Sugawara Koushi,” came the answer. Koushi plopped in his own handful. “You’re probably curious about…” he gestured.

 

Sawamura looked guilty for a second, but shook his head. “I already said you don't need to explain.” He paused. “Although, I do have to wonder why you don't even have an umbrella. It’s been raining since five in the morning.”

 

Koushi blinked. “That’s an awfully odd time, were you up that early?”

 

Sawamura shrugged, slipping the last of the acorns into Koushi’s bag and dusting his hands off, beforw pushing to his feet again. Koushi stood up too. “I like to run in the mornings. Of course, by the time I was awake enough to realize it was too rainy to run, I was also too awake to go back to sleep and still make it to work on time.”

 

“Ah.” Koushi wanted to keep talking-- but he was pretty sure Sawamura had been away from his post long enough, and besides, he couldn't think of anything to say--

 

“Would it… by any chance… be possible to get your number?” Sawamura blurted out. He clapped a hand over his mouth immediately after, flushing red-- as if he hadn't meant to say it at all.

 

Koushi giggled. “I'm surprised you want it. I’m obviously a little…” He jiggled the bag in his hand. “ _ Nuts _ .”

 

Sawamura groaned, chuckling into his hand. “That was  _ so bad _ ,” he complained.

 

“But you’re laughing!”

 

“I have a  _ horrendous  _ sense of humor. Ask anyone.”

 

Koushi laughed again, fishing in his pocket-- he was pretty sure he had--

 

Aha!

 

Triumphantly, he pulled out a tiny permanent marker, and he snagged Sawamura’s wrist and scrawled across the back of his hand. “There. Text me later!”

 

Sawamura nodded. “Definitely.”

 

/////

 

Koushi opened the front door and shoved a modest bouquet under Sawa--  _ Daichi’s  _ nose. “Tada!”

 

Daichi blinked. “Shouldn’t  _ I  _ be bringing  _ you _ flowers?”

 

“I refuse to be the only one courted,” Koushi said, with a flap of his hand. “And my flowers are special. look at them.”

 

Daichi did. Koushi knew what he’d find-- colors that seemed too intense to be real, but also left no room to doubt that they were, in fact, natural. They were in exactly full-bloom, but unlike the kind of flowers you’d find at a shop, they didn't look a few hours away from wilting. If anything, Koushi’s looked as if they were still rooted firmly in the earth, like they’d just keep growing even cut as they were.

 

“They're beautiful,” Daichi murmured, fingering the petals almost tenderly, as if he were afraid to break them somehow. He lifted his head to beam at Koushi-- and sent him into cardiac arrest, probably. “Thank you.” His smile turned wry, and Koushi’s heart seemed even less willing to work properly at the sight of it, somehow. “But I hope you don't mind if I leave it here first while we go on our date?”

 

“Go ahead. Just find an empty vase somewhere…” Koushi pointed. “There, by the ferns, I think.”

 

“I said this on our last date, but you have a  _ lot  _ of plants.” 

 

Koushi shrugged. “What can I say? I love nature. Thank god you aren't allergic.”

 

Daichi looked amused. “That almost sounds like a story.”

 

Well, he wasn't wrong. It  _ was  _ a story. One involving a horny Koushi and a  _ fantastic _ flirtation with a hot guy at the bar, only for him to come in and tear up in two minutes flat-- and not in the fun way.

 

But that wasn't good date talk. “I'll tell you another time,” he promised, flashing a cheeky grin. Daichi chuckled. “Now, where are we going today, Daichi?”

 

“I figured you might want to go visit some of the public gardens. You’ve probably been to them already, but--”

 

“I haven't. Been that is. I always forget to go,” Koushi cut in. His smile softened. “And it's very sweet of you. I’d love to go.”

 

/////

 

Daichi had apparently brought along a picnic, packed in an adorable wicker basket in his car’s backseat. Koushi reached over and rifled through it in delight. “It all looks so tasty!” he cheered, picking out a cookie to eat--

 

Without even looking away from the road, Daichi smacked his hand gently in reprimand. “Nope. One, that's a dessert, and you need a proper meal first--”

 

Koushi pouted.

 

Daichi was unaffected. Somehow.

 

No fair.

 

“Two, if you start eating now, we won't have anything for our picnic. That would defeat the purpose of the date.”

 

Koushi grumbled. “Fine,” he huffed, slipping it back inside. He didn't yet return the basket to its place though, lifting it up and examining it like it was some mysterious artifact. “Where did you even get this basket anyway? I didn't think people actually owned things like this except on TV.”

 

Daichi grinned in the mirror, like sunshine incarnate, and wow, Koushi really wants to keep this guy around.

 

Which… is a difficult thing, to say the least. Relationships require honesty, and honesty is not a thing Koushi can give without looking like a lunatic. Who would believe him about his heritage? No one, that's who. Faeries weren't supposed to exist outside of stories.

 

“Honestly? So did I,” Daichi said, making a turn as the light signalled it okay. “We were cleaning out my parents’ house a while back and apparently it's been handed down for a few generations. She let me have it, since I was so amused by it.” 

 

Koushi giggled. “I would be amused too,” he answered.

 

“I can tell.”

 

Koushi laughed again, setting the basket down in his lap. “My parents didn't really give me the odd stuff I found in their house.”

 

“Like what?”

 

Whoops. Koushi had done it again. What was he supposed to say? The truth was: a bunch of strange, old keys that didn't match the locks in the house, a jar full of flowers that looked like they were made of gold, a pebble that Koushi  _ swore  _ whispered in the middle of the night.

 

But that was  _ weird _ . Really weird. Daichi might just stop dating him now and save himself the trouble of ever meeting such a weird couple-- of course, Koushi loved his parents, and they were amazing people, but a faery and his wife were bound to be different, to say the least.

 

“Oh, you know,” Koushi muttered, flapping his hand dismissively. “Just… knick knacks and random souvenirs.”

 

Daichi waited, but when nothing more was forthcoming, he said, “Okay… any specific examples? Now you’ve got me curious. They can't be any weirder than a bag full of acorns and no umbrella on a rainy day, right?”

 

Koushi groaned, chuckling weakly. “I had reasons!” he protested, punching Daichi’s shoulder lightly.

 

“And I told you I didn't need to hear them,” Daichi laughed back. “Doesn't mean it isn't still weird.”

 

Koushi opened his mouth to retort-- and then shut it. “Fair enough,” he said instead.

 

Daichi chuckled again, then reached for Koushi’s hand and squeezed it gently with his own. “You don't owe me explanations, Suga. You never will, unless you want to give them-- I trust that if it’s important, you’ll tell me.”

 

Gods, how was it allowed that one person was this perfect?

 

Koushi felt warmth flood his cheeks, and he smiled. “A little early for talk like that, don't you think?” he joked weakly.

 

Daichi shrugged. “I believe in starting a relationship and treating it like the endgame. Love is a choice, so you have to treat each one like the last time you’ll make it.” He paused. “Not to say-- not to say we can't take things slow, of course, but just that… I don't do flings, and I don't do any of that jealousy stuff.”

 

“That… thats’s a pretty nice mindset,” Koushi said softly. He squeezed Daichi’s hand back, and didn't bother letting go. He looked away. “The light is green,” he murmured. “You can go.”

 

Daichi did.

 

/////

 

The rest of the drive was quiet but for the gentle melodies from the radio, and occasionally Daichi humming along under his breath. Koushi was ridiculously endeared, but didn't say anything, just in case Daichi wasn't aware he was doing it. 

 

They soon reached the public garden, and Daichi had hardly cut the engine before Koushi was leaping out, sucking in a deep breath until his lungs couldn't hold it and breathing it out in a big, happy sigh. “I  _ love  _ this one,” he said, as Daichi came up behind him.

 

“I can tell,” Daichi said wryly, letting out a sigh of his own. “Next time, please wait until I turn the engine off? I don't want you to get hurt.”

 

“I'm fine!” Koushi protested. He spun around slowly for Daichi’s inspection. “See? Not hurt at all!”

 

Daichi crossed his arms. “ _ Suga _ .”

 

“Okay, okay. I’ll wait next time.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

Daichi laced his hand with Koushi’s and tugged him in the direction of the entrance. He moved to take the picnic basket from Koushi’s hand, but Koushi didn't let him, insisting on carrying it himself until they were inside and settled at a nice picnic table underneath a pair of sakura trees. 

 

“It's too bad it’s the wrong season for sakura,” Daichi said, as he brushed leaves and the occasional petal or branch from their table. 

 

Koushi began to unpack the food and spread it out. “Yes, it is too bad,” he mused. He wondered if he could encourage the flowers to bloom anyway, with his magic. Would that be too odd? Too obvious?

 

Probably.

 

Did he care?

 

He glanced at Daichi, who had, up until now, just taken all his weirdness in stride.

 

For now, he decided. For now, he cared. He didn't want to scare him away, after all. 

 

But maybe…

 

A quick scan of the ground revealed a bud, fallen from the tree before it could even bloom and tonged brown at the edges. It was okay, though. It wouldn't be that way for long.

 

Koushi shot Daichi another glance and found him looking elsewhere, busying himself opening up the food in their containers and getting out the paper plates and plastic utensils, so Koushi knelt down to the ground and set a hand on the grass. “I'm just going to share a bit of your life force with this flower, okay?” he mumbled, reaching deep inside himself for his magic. In his other palm, the flower bud slowly regained color, the unfurled into full bloom like a video set in fast-forward.

 

Satisfied, Koushi thanked the grass and stood. “Daichi, look!” He held out the sakura blossom for Daichi to see.

 

“Oh!” Daichi blinked down at it. “Where'd you find it?”

 

“Just there,” Koushi said. “Here, let me…” He tucked it behind Daichi’s ear. “There! Perfect!”

 

Daichi laughed. “Thank you. It's lovely.”

 

“Just like you!”

 

Daichi shook his head and rolled his eyes. “Sit down already. Didn't you want to eat?”

 

Koushi cheered, hopping lightly onto the tabletop instead, feet resting on the bench.

 

Daichi gave him a look of exasperation, but apparently chose to let it go without comment. Instead, he held out a paper plate already piled with food-- a tasty-looking sandwich and what looked like homemade fries sprinkled with shredded nori.

 

“Thank you, Daichi!”

 

“You’re welcome,” Daichi said, smiling that same warm smile that made Koushi burn with fondness and hope. “Tell me what you think.”

 

Koushi didn't hesitate. “I love it.”

 

Daichi laughed, shaking his head as he finally took his own seat, pulling his own plate close. “You haven't even had any of it. What if it takes like mud?”

 

“Would you feed me mud, Daichi?”

 

“Of course not, but-- it’s the principle of it--”

 

Koushi held up a hand. “Then I’m sure I’ll love it. You made it for me! That's plenty.” He paused. “Also, it looks and smells  _ amazing _ . I was practically dying in the car.”

 

That earned him another chuckle, which Koushi answered with a cheeky grin, plucking up a fry and popping it into his mouth. “I knew it,” he declared, reaching for a second. “I love it.”

 

Daichi flushed. “I’m glad,” he admitted. “I'm not that great a cook, so I was worried…”

 

“You’re a great cook, Daichi,” Koushi insisted. “Now shh and eat, I feel like a pig being the only one digging in.”

 

“Okay, okay.”

 

/////

 

When they finished eating and cleaning after themselves (they weren't  _ animals,  _ thanks very much), they strolled through the garden and marveled at the colorful flowers. Dragonflies zipped here and there as brilliant butterflies big and small fluttered about… Koushi would occasionally coax one to land on him or Daichi, and though Daichi didn't understand in the slightest how he managed it, he didn't push Koushi to explain.

 

They took a lot of pictures-- mostly Daichi, actually, who seemed to enjoy snapping candid shots when Koushi wasn't looking. He never turned off the shutter sound, so Koushi always knew when he’d taken one, but he never showed Koushi what the pictures looked like either, promising to show him the best ones later, after he’d sorted through them.

 

No amount of pestering would sway him.

 

Koushi was maybe… pouting… just a little.

 

“Okay, what's your favorite flower?” Koushi asked eventually, as they neared the exit. They’d looped around the park three times now, and Daichi hadn't complained-- Koushi was  _ definitely  _ keeping him. Especially because Daichi had spotted an acorn somewhere and slipped it into Koushi’s pocket without hesitation or even a comment.

 

Koushi didn't  _ need  _ it anymore, but the thought was what mattered. He didn't bother taking the acorn out.

 

“I liked the carnations,” Daichi said, as Koushi began to lead them out. The sun was setting now-- they had really taken their time, literally stopping to smell the flowers (mostly Koushi; Daichi took some prodding),  sometimes just sitting and talking. Daichi had taught Koushi to weave flower crowns, and Koushi had produced bloom after bloom from buds he’d found, fallen before they could blossom.

 

Daichi was confused, but pleasantly so, so Koushi kept doing it, only winking when Daichi asked about it (which, to be fair, was not often).

 

Daichi was still carrying them all, actually. Tucked behind his ears and cradled in one arm like they were the most precious of treasures.

 

Koushi really,  _ really  _ wanted to keep him.

 

“The carnations were the best,” Koushi agreed. “Well, almost. I still think the plum blossoms were better.”

 

Daichi chuckled. “Fair enough.”

 

Daichi placed the flowers in the backseat so they wouldn't be crushed, cushioned on an old hoodie he left there for emergencies, and then took Koushi home. Koushi handed him his bouquet, and then walked him back down to the car, despite Daichi’s insistence that that defeated the purpose of walking him to his door.

 

“Don’t worry about it,” Koushi said, smiling with as much charm as he could manage. Daichi’s eyes went a little foggy, and then they cleared. 

 

Daichi sighed, and then smiled back at him. “Okay. Good night.”

 

“Good night.”

 

/////

 

The next time they met, Koushi handed Daichi an acorn-- actually, the exact one Daichi had picked up for him at the public garden.

 

“What’s this for?” he asked, rolling it in his palm.

 

“Acorns keep secrets, Daichi,” Koushi said gravely. “And that’s one of mine.”

 

Daichi raised his eyebrows, but he apparently didn't consider that a crazy enough statement to argue with, much less to run away from. He hummed considering. “Is that so?”

 

Koushi nodded. “Yeah. It’s… well. I’ll explain it when you hear the secret.”

 

Daichi’s eyes crinkled at the corners with amusement, and without prompting, offered his arm like some sort of Victorian lord-- not that Koushi was complaining. Koushi took it easily, leading the way to his favorite hole-in-the-wall cafe. “So how do I do that?”

 

“Well… I don’t know yet. I’m still trying to figure that out myself,” he admitted. It was true, actually. That’s why he’d been collecting so many acorns that day in the rain.

 

“I see.”

 

“But I’ll tell you how when I know.” Koushi grinned. “Or maybe you’ll figure it out before me.”

 

Daichi chuckled. “Maybe.” Koushi tugged him to a stop, and pushed open the door of the coffeeshop. It was small, a true hole-in-the-wall that barely managed to be 20 feet wide either way. It was fairly inconspicuous, nestled as it was between two busy offices… but the coffee was good, the staff was kind, and the cakes? To die for.

 

That’s what Koushi had promised Daichi, anyway, and he was pretty sure they would deliver.

 

Koushi made a beeline for a hammock in the back corner, waving Daichi over excitedly.

 

“So how did you manage to find this place?” Daichi asked, joining him.

 

Koushi flapped a hand vaguely. “I ran in here once when I got caught out in the rain. Liked it enough to come back. And come back. And come back.”

 

Daichi picked up one of the laminated menus laying on the table, scanning it. “Why do you always get caught out in the rain?”

 

Koushi swatted at him. “It’s not like I do it on purpose! Okay, fine, I knew it was going to rain, but I expected to have been home by then-- I should have been, but a friend asked me to do him a favor and I had to take a detour--” He sighed. “I couldn't even get mad at him after, since otherwise I wouldn't have found this place, and it’s the best for doing work or studying.”

 

Daichi chuckled, offering him the menu.

 

“No thanks. I know what to order. What do you want?”

 

Daichi ended up getting a small muffin and a simple warm brewed coffee. After a little bit of pestering, he also agreed to try a few sips of Koushi’s favorite-- some house specialty, overly complicated, but very delicious mixed drink they called a summer sunset. Koushi also bought them a chocolate lava cake to share, with ice cream, of course.

 

As he settled back down beside Daichi, setting down the trays of their food on the table, Koushi asked, “Do you believe in magic, Daichi?”

 

Daichi tipped his head back to look at the ceiling, as if the answer might be up there, written against the white plaster. “Hm… what kind of magic?”

 

“Any kind.”

 

“That doesn't really narrow things down, Suga,” Daichi responded dryly. Koushi shrugged. “I suppose up to a certain extent.”

 

Koushi hummed. “What sort of extent?” It wasn't a hard no, at least, Koushi thought. That would have been the worst. Koushi had learned that stubborn people couldn't be brought into the magic world-- they simply blocked it out on instinct. And Koushi couldn't hide his fae characteristics for long. He got urges, and resisting them caused him pain, or forced his magic out uncontrollably. He’d learned that the hard way.

 

Daichi tilted his head a little to look Koushi in the eye, strangely sober for such a lighthearted question-- well, lighthearted to anyone but Koushi, but Koushi could school his expression as well as anyone; he was pretty sure the only one who exceeded him in that department was  Oikawa, and Oikawa was a freak, so that didn't count.

 

Daichi hummed in consideration. “Well, I think there are things we don’t always understand. I think sometimes miracles happen, you know? And I think it’s not impossible that some things exist that might have inspired all those old stories. I’m not going to go hunting them or believing any nonsense someone tells me, but I wouldn't insist on rejecting that either,” he said, after a moment.

 

Koushi blinked.

 

As if suddenly aware of how much he’d said, Daichi’s cheeks reddened, and his gaze flitted away, hand coming up to touch the back of his neck self-consciously. “Sorry, that was probably more of an answer than you wanted.”

 

“No, not at all. That sets me at ease, really.”

 

Daichi chuckled. “Does it? Are you going to tell me you’re magic, Sugawara Koushi?”

 

_ Yes,  _ Koushi wanted to say. He didn't. He only grinned, tossing him a wink. “Who knows? Maybe.”

 

“Maybe?” The way Daichi’s lips quirked in an indulgent smile should have been illegal.

 

Koushi considered it again. He wanted Daichi to take it seriously-- if he said it now, it might be taken as a joke.

 

A joke that could eventually go sour. “You’ll have to wait for the acorn to tell you,” Koushi said instead.

 

“Is that so?” Daichi said. Koushi hummed. “All right. I’ll wait. You’re worth it.”

 

Words couldn't describe how happy that made him.


End file.
